By: Katie Sanders, Staff Writer
College students have always been creative in thinking of ways to get five extra minutes of sleep, while still making it to class on time. Riding rather than walking serves as a good solution. Recently, the number of students riding a board to class is catching up to the number of students riding a bike, the more traditional option.
“I once rode my long board from Marsh to the back of the Village in four minutes,” says freshman Cassandra Panky. “I can get from Marsh to Olin in two minutes.”
Panky has been skateboarding since she was seven, but on campus, she sticks to long boarding.
“The sidewalks have grooves that catch skateboard wheels. It’s better to long board or penny board, because they have bigger wheels. Skateboarding is more for tricks, while long boarding and penny boarding are for cruising. I’m on the soccer team, so I can’t get too crazy.”
Helena Fulmore, senior, rides her penny board to class.
“It’s more convenient than a bike, because you can take it indoors. Each board is pretty unique, which cuts back on theft. It’s also easier to avoid people on the sidewalk, because you can dismount faster than you can on a bike.”
However, sidewalk traffic is not the problem with board culture at Wofford. It’s the cutting eyes you get from the people you pass.
“People who board are assumed to be thugs, or rule-breakers,” says Pankey. “In the past, I’ve gotten nasty looks from professors when I ride by them.”
This year, a new type of board can be spotted on campus. Several students have battery powered hover boards, or gliders. Tanae Copeland purchased her board earlier this semester in Charleston, when she went to watch Wofford play the Citadel.
“It was a gift from my dad. He got my brother and I one as an early Christmas gift. I persuaded the owner to sell me the custom board she had designed for display.”
Copeland’s board is the all-terrain model, meaning it can go more places, hold more weight, and go up to 15 miles per hour. The smaller models only go eight miles per hour. Just like a car, her board had to be named.
“Luigi is the board’s name,” says Copeland. “I wanted a foreign name because the board is so unique.” She also gave herself a nickname. “I call myself easy, breezy hover-girl, after the Cover Girl commercials.”
The incentive to ride a hover board around campus is that it’s easier than other forms of transportation.
“I can’t skateboard. I can’t even rollerblade. But this is effortless; I consider it my toy. I also have more freedom of mobility than I would on a bike. I can go backwards and hold things while I ride. Plus, I look better riding Luigi than I do on a bike.”
Because hover boards are so effortless, they often don’t measure up to the other members of the board family.
“I do not consider it real boarding,” says Fulmore.
Pankey agrees. “Skateboards and long boards have style. They represent a specific culture. These hover boards have no style.”
Board style is important for the sake of the activity itself. Fulmore and Pankey both recommend close-toed shoes and pants- nothing that will catch the wind while you ride. Pankey also suggests wearing as many layers as the weather permits, to avoid road rash if you fall, and helmets.
“It’s a hassle to carry a helmet from class to class, so I don’t wear it then. But a helmet has saved my life on multiple occasions, so it’s important to wear one if you’re doing tricks or riding downhill.”
